It is one of the ways in which God speaks to believers. In the opinion of the four evangelical participants, the Bible is explicitly considered to be the Word of God. The Bible contains Gods message to humans and through the Bible one can learn more about who God is. Obstacles to reading the Bible were the length and thickness of the Bible (where to start?) Barnard, M., ed. The third and last practice was the use of brief thematic editions (excerpts) of the Bible, for example focused on emotions, versus the use of complete biblical editions with explanatory notes and included commentaries. Aspects that they considered to be a burden were the norms, values, and dogmas that people take from the Bible. Rembrandts Biblische Frauenportrts: Eine Begegnung Von Theologie Und Malerei. The most striking outcome was that denominational affiliation did not appear to be a distinguishing factor in Bible usage. A similar percentage of these segments (47 and 48%) choose a text depending on their needs or questions at any given time. (1971). (1971). The outcomes of the quantitative part of the research gave reason to introduce a new segmentation that was not based on church membership but on practices (active or passive) and attitudes (radical or liberal) concerning the Bible. Zrich: Theologischer Verlag.Search in Google Scholar, Snel, J.D. 2007. As is to be expected, practices of Bible reading are impacted by the decline in church membership and the increasingly secularized, or rather, dechurched, Dutch culture. A link to this survey was sent to a large variety of churches in the cities Dordrecht, Ede, and Amsterdam. The international operating Pocket Testament League (PTL) opened an office in The Netherlands in 1914. The average age was 52 years old. Zoo heerlijk eenvoudig: geschiedenis van de kinderbijbel in Nederland. Moreover, the living situation or life stage of the participants also informed their practices and attitudes towards the Bible. When an evangelical person is not able to read the Bible on a regular basis, he or she can feel guilty before God. [17] In sum, during the course of the 20th century, the religious affiliation of the population of the Netherlands underwent a drastic change. In more liberal contexts, the Bible is foremost a human book in which religious experiences are depicted. When the main findings of both the qualitative and quantitative part of the research study are taken together, overall analysis reveals a number of characteristics and developments regarding practices of ordinary Bible reading in the Netherlands. Bachs Passions Transformed into a Passion Transcending Christianity. In, Luteyn, M.-J., M. Klomp, and P.-B. Examining the material intended to stimulate Bible engagement, individuals who already qualify as active readers appear to be more interested in such materials than individuals in the passive segments do, for example 3257% of the participants in the passive segments do not appear to be interested in reading guides, as opposed to 1720% of the active readers. An experience that was shared by participants was a feeling of unity and community when reading the Bible together. A more surprising finding is that some people who possess a Bible are either indifferent or even hostile towards it. De Bijbel cultureel. Moreover, the Bible shows how to live a Christian life. Regarding views of the Bible, significant distinctions were found between participants differing in the degree of orthodoxy and age. Reading the Bible was part of contemplation or meditation and done in the context of rituals such as prayer or the burning of candles. 1657 kjv volumes This can be done through grouping together low-level facts that are seen as similar, drawing insights based on similarity and forming new groups based on related insights. Daily Bible-reading after the evening meal continues to be a sine qua non for many families in these contexts.

The results of the six focus groups can be divided into two categories: views of the Bible and Bible-reading practices. Hilversum: Verloren.Search in Google Scholar, van Keulen, D. 2003. J.S. That's why audio Bibles are a necessity and why audio Bibles on solar power are a great missionairy tool. beza elzevier 1641 testament Vertaald verleden: beknopte geschiedenis van Bijbelvertalen in Nederland. Wie is religieus, en wie niet? You may unsubscribe at any moment. African and European Readers of the Bible in Dialogue. Den Haag: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek.Search in Google Scholar, Scholl, V. 2006. The data collected during the six focus groups was analyzed during a joint meeting with Blauw Research. De Refoband of Refogordel als onderdeel van de Protestantenband. In Refogeschiedenis in perspectief. The results reveal considerable diversity in Bible usage and the stated objectives between the participating schools and the teachers. A general conversation was then instigated to clarify and share similar and/or different associations and experiences with the Bible. [18] It is furthermore likely that this number (of religiously unaffiliated respondents) will increase, given demographic trends. Questions asked in the research project included: What size is the group of Bible readers in the Netherlands? Sind die Sulen noch tragfhig? [2] This article addresses the gap in knowledge concerning the actual usage of the Bible by presenting a recent empirical research project on the topic. Snel, J.D. 2007. Mostly, the Bible was considered something from the past and/or their own childhood period. Rather, they saw it as being written in human language and through human minds. The idea of the Bible as inspired by God was rather difficult for them to believe. (2014). [10] This literature often has a focus on either the (history of) production and (theological and ecclesial) reception of editions and translations of the Bible;[11] high culture and the Bible (mainly, authors of prose and poetry, composers, visual artists, and so forth),[12] and prominent figures (such as theologians,[13] church leaders, and so forth) and their use, reception and interpretation of biblical texts.

BASISBIJBEL - NT - For you - The Bible in Ukrainian childrens Bible Jos Perez Montero. Having outlined both the scholarly significance of the research project that this study focuses on at large and having positioned it within extant research, it is now possible to turn to the project proper, its methods and results, and thereby also outline how it moves beyond extant research. Catholic participants, furthermore, indicated that the Bible helps them to reflect on their personal lives as it is a source of inspiration to them. (1990). The actual focus groups were structured as follows. Third, for forms of theological scholarship that wish to take into account the voice of the church at large, that is, the entire community of the faithful, for instance along the lines of the concept of the sensus fidelium in Catholic theology, insight into what such faithful do with one of the sources of their faith, and developing ways of listening to such faithful, are needed the research presented here is one form of doing just this. Solar powered pocket sized audio Bible. The two main goals consisted of, firstly, generating current insight into societal and denominational profiles of Bible readers and the characteristics of their Bible-reading practices and, secondly, determining whether a categorization of this segment of Bible readers on the basis of church denominational lines is still representative in a Dutch society that has become more fluid and in which people tend to church hop.[37] In this section, the main findings of the qualitative and quantitative part of the research will be succinctly summarized, as well as those of the entire research study;[38] the leading questions that guided the overall project will be answered in the conclusion. Thirdly, the intensity of Bible usage in Christian schools appears, to a growing extent, dependent on the value assigned to the Bible by the individual teacher or school principal. Eugene: Wipf and Stock.Search in Google Scholar, Kuijer, G. 20122017. Bible reading for orthodox Protestants often goes hand in hand with prayer. The evangelical participants regarded Bible reading as a natural and evident aspect of a Christian life. A teacher for whom the Bible is an important book of faith will make different choices compared to a colleague who sees the Bible only as a book of wisdom. From september until march we have a wide assortment of calendars with Bible text in our Bible webshop. [24] To begin with, Bible ownership has decreased across the board, throughout all age categories. Another perceived obstacle was the considerable number of Bible translations available, which means that anyone can distill from the biblical text what he or she likes and, consequently, arbitrariness is introduced. 2018. For several of the participants, it had also been a religious experience. Two researchers were present in each focus group meeting. From a society that is often described as intensively religious, especially in the period 18501950, Dutch society developed, at an increasingly rapid speed since the 1950s, to a situation in which more than half of the population is religiously unaffiliated. In terms of attitudes towards the Bible, the researchers detect a secularization of the Bible: an increasing number of people value the Bible as work of literature or an important source of (Western/Dutch) culture, while a decreasing number refer to the Bible as the infallible Word of God. It is considered a (practical) guide and hence necessary to living a life of faith and maintaining a personal relationship with God. In the latter sense, the Bible still has a role even for non-members of a church, particularly around central life events such as weddings and funerals. AsMegaVoice Media Center we are specialized in supporting the use of solar powered MegaVoice audio Bibles. More orthodox participants viewed the Bible as the Word of God and as a source of truths, whereas more liberal participants viewed the Bible as a book of humans that contains spiritual and/or transcendent experiences. As far as Bible-reading practices are concerned, three opposing (although not mutually exclusive) practices stood out across the whole range of participants. In the first round, participants talked about why they read the Bible or not (in their personal lives) and how their attitudes and opinions towards the Bible had changed over the course of their lives. Het boek achter de boeken: Bijbelse motieven in de Nederlandse literatuur sinds 80. There is a shift in the reasons given for reading the Bible, towards reading it for cultural reasons or as a reference work; while reading the Bible for reasons such as sustaining the faith has decreased in significance over time. Teachers with sufficient knowledge of the Bible seemed more inclined to let students work with independently the Bible and, subsequently, they appear to have a more positive influence on Bible usage. At the end of each focus group, the conversation leader thanked the participants for their contributions, repeated how the research data would be processed, and opened up the room to any final questions from participants. (2010). Leiden: Brill.Search in Google Scholar, de Hart, J., and P. van Houwelingen. Waarom daar? Concerning reading habits, it appears that participants who read their Bible less frequently are also more inclined to do so dependent on concrete life situations and personal questions. [27] How schools respond to the changing attitudes and knowledge of teachers and students of the Bible appears, firstly, to be dependent on a schools identity. Drop, W., and J.W. Steenbeek, eds. Before turning to extant empirical research, it should be acknowledged that other quantitative studies on the role of the Bible in the Netherlands exist. [9], In this article, we will, in turn, outline the state of research regarding the use of the Bible in the Netherlands, present the research project on which this study is based (including a description of the qualitative and quantitative methodologies that were used) along with its results, and offer a conclusion which summarizes the main outcomes. Amsterdam: Athenaeum.Search in Google Scholar, Luteyn, M.-J., M. Klomp, and P.-B. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive exclusive offers. In the second part, two creative assignments were given.

Subsequently, each person was invited to comment on his or her catchwords. For orthodox Protestant participants, Bible reading belongs to the heart of the Christian faith. In November and December 2016, a total of six focus group sessions were organized in the Dutch cities of Dordrecht, Ede and Amsterdam, on the topics of participants views of the Bible, Bible-reading practices, and experiences with the Dutch Bible Society.

One is a long-term project initiated by the Dutch Bible Society, Bijbelbezit en Bijbelgebruik [Bible ownership and Bible use], which has been conducted periodically in 1974, 1981, 1989, 1996 and 2004. Barnhoorn, F., S. Stoppels, and A.-M. Schol-Wetter, eds. They especially looked for central themes throughout the Bible and tried to distill biblical meanings relevant then and relevant now; a central question that was explored was how does the Bible speaks to human life circumstances? They frequently made use of daily Bible-reading plans (with or without added commentaries) and various kinds of devotional writings on the Bible. 1994. In the radical active segment, 61.9% of the drives that were mentioned as most important centered around putting God first: it brings me into contact with God, helps me to trust in God, helps me understand God, and helps me to worship God. Liberal active was more diverse: the statements it brings me into contact with God, teaches me important life lessons, helps me to trust in God, and I want my children to learn something about the Bible each account for 10% of the motives that were mentioned. Most significant in light of the researchs leading questions, was that Bible usage among Dutch Bible readers no longer appears to follow the traditional lines of denominational segmentation but is rather to be categorized according to active or passive reading habits (reading the Bible once a month versus less than monthly) and radical or liberal attitudes towards the Bible (viewing the Bible as literally Gods Word versus inspirational literature). This difference strongly influences peoples expectations and needs concerning the Bible. It is difficult to summarize peoples Bible reading practices as they are all so different. Therefore, the Bible, containing a variety of religious experiences, was viewed as a source of inspiration rather than presenting truths that one should believe literally. The first was the practice of reading a print Bible versus reading the Bible on the internet or via digital apps. In spoken form we have nowadays over 6.000 languages available in our Bible webshop.Click here for solar poweredaudio Bibles, We have a wide offer of Wedding Bibles in stock. When they did read the Bible, they favored the New Testament over the Old Testament as the New Testament was experienced as more accessible and relevant, whereas the Old Testament was considered more difficult and distant. 2016. We are glad to help you. 2020. (2004). Based on their religious backgrounds and characteristics, people were selected and invited to attend one of the focus groups in their city. [28] However, most contributors focus on qualitative perspectives rather than quantitative data, which is typical for a great deal of research on the Bible in the Netherlands, which, in addition, privileges professional, academic, and culturally elitist voices over others. However, the Bible is not always experienced as easy to understand: there are, for example, a lot of violent passages and a thorough study of passages is needed to be able to understand and contextualize such violence. Consequently, literati and other commentators have found it hard to explain why the Bible (more precisely, the Nieuwe Bijbelvertaling, a new Dutch translation published in 2004) was voted the most significant book of the Netherlands in 2016. Based on their research, Nagel-Herweijer and Visser-Vogel suggest a number of factors that are associated with such extensive diversity in Bible usage. Mainline protestant participants (five in total) described the Bible both as the Word of God and the story of God and humans. They believed the Bible to be divinely inspired but not necessarily divine in and of itself: they allowed for human influence (next to divine inspiration) as to the contents of the stories. Among the liberal active readers there were more or less the same number of women and men, 53 and 47% respectively. aThe Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN) houses both mainline and orthodox Protestants. For them, the Bible should be accessible and easy to read. The Most Significant Book of the Netherlands And Its Ordinary Readers. These participants reported that the Bible contains timeless truths and Gods message to humans. Zoetermeer: Boekencentrum.Search in Google Scholar, Barnhoorn, F., S. Stoppels, and A.-M. Schol-Wetter, eds. Frequently mentioned barriers to reading the Bible appear to consist of the perceived difficulty of the Bibles language (that is, in translation); the confrontational and/or contradictory character of the Bible, and unpleasant memories associated with Bible practices.

Smit. (2018). Liberals like to read the Bible while alone, as well as with others in literature and study groups. van Dam, P., J. Kennedy, and F. Wielenga, eds. Faith journals, or other biblical journals, were scarcely used, because they were often evaluated as too evangelical or Protestant. On the other hand, ecumenical Bible-reading gatherings were regarded as enriching. The Bible was considered to be a guide in life and source of support; its stories (potentially) relate to ones own experiences. *Key: Protestant Church of the Netherlands (PKN); Dutch Reformed Churches (NGK); Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (Liberated; GKV); Christian Reformed Churches (CGK); Old-Catholic Church (OKK); Free Evangelical Churches (VEG); Roman Catholic Church (RKK). The Christian Community (2), Remonstrant Brotherhood (1), Mennonite Church (1), Unaffiliated (2). How many Bibles did they possess/use, and which translations and editions? An overview of the composition of the six focus groups can be found in Table1 (Descriptive data of the participants of the six panels). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.Search in Google Scholar, van den Berg, A. J. In the third round, participants also shared their knowledge and experiences of the Dutch Bible Society (NBG). Its main goal was to map the vocabulary (that is, specific words and concepts) that readers from divergent societal and denominational backgrounds use with respect to the Bible, their Bible-reading practices, and experiences with the Dutch Bible Society. Such insight into the current state of affairs is highly desirable to enable the NBG to continue to fulfill its mission to bring the Bible close to people and society, using a variety of formats and media. Many participants had positive experiences of reading the Bible in a group setting, as reading the Bible together generated a shared sense of its importance and/or spiritual value. Descriptive data of the participants of the six panels. Although the Netherlands has become one of the most secular countries in the world, the Bible still plays an important role for many people as a source of cultural and spiritual inspiration. In that respect, they distil various layers within the biblical texts. De religieuze kaart van Nederland, 20102015. Versulung in der niederlndischen Historiographie. Schweizerische Zeitschrift fr Religions- und Kulturgeschichte 102: 41533.Search in Google Scholar, van Dam, P. 2011. Journal of the Bible and its Reception, Vol. De Bijbel voor ongelovigen 16. Additionally, reading the Bible was considered to be a collective activity as it is part of the Catholic (Mass) liturgy and it plays an important role in creating a sense of togetherness; it binds people together (religiously). For individuals in the liberal active segment, the confrontational (as cited by 25% of participants) and sometimes contradictory (21%) character of the texts is more important than difficulties understanding the language of the text (18%). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.Search in Google Scholar, Ricoeur, P. 1967. DutchBibles have a fixed book price all resellers have to abide. In what follows, the main findings will be presented (more detailed and elaborate results such as percentages are presented in Section 2 Methodology and Results, as well as a description of the research sample). Engelse Bijbel NIV - Journalling and Verse mapping, Companion audio Bible - Pick your audio Bible recording, Servicedesk is closed 30 juli - 14 august. Lastly, the position of the Bible and the ways it was used in Christian education seemed to a large degree to be dependent on the student population of that specific school. This is of significance in terms of gaining insight into the functioning of a religion in a society, as well as for scholarship interested in the Bible. Fourthly, in line with this, the competences of the individual teachers also came up as either a facilitating or limiting factor in the way the Bible was communicated to the students. However, in order to be able to properly grasp its message, it must be read carefully while guided by Gods spirit. In 2017, the association for Catholic and Christian education, Verus, conducted a research into Bible usage in Protestant-Christian education. 2021 Annemarie Foppen et al., published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston. De Bijbel in de eigentijdse Nederlandse literatuur. Ons Erfdeel 37: 699707.Search in Google Scholar, Houtman, D. 2008. 2018. Heerenveen: Jongbloed.Search in Google Scholar, van der Meiden, W. 2009. Thus, depended on the particular focus group, PKN may refer to either group of believers. Furthermore, active Bible readers are more interested in material intended to stimulate Bible engagement than passive readers are, and the majority, across all segments, prefer interesting perspectives to unambiguous statements about the texts meaning. Instead, the Catholic participants had a meditational approach towards the Bible. The first was to generate up-to-date knowledge of the societal and denominational profiles of Bible readers and of current Bible-reading practices. The participants could then stick the post-it notes to the sheet. Waarom daar? They were asked to write down, by means of free association, some catchwords that they associated with the word Bible. Smit. Families with children still living at home were more represented in the active segments versus the passive segments (39 vs. 17%).



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